Callum Black and Jack Morton win the 40th anniversary Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship title

Callum Black and Jack Morton are the 2023 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship drivers’ and co-drivers’ champions, having scored maximum points on both days of the double header JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (2-3 September).

The new champions won the title for the first time on the 40th anniversary of the UK’s premier sealed surface series, and were the only crew to score maximum points on more than one round, with victory the Manx National (day two), Argyll Rally and the penultimate and final rounds held over the two day Rali Ceredigion.

Neil Roskell and Callum Black go head-to-head at Rali Ceredigion in fight for the 40th anniversary Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship title

Neil Roskell and Callum Black go into a head-to-head fight for the 40th anniversary 2023 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship drivers’ title on the final double header round of the series, the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion (2-3 September).

Roskell, who finished runner-up last year, leads the UK’s premier sealed surface series after six high-scoring finishes in his Michelin-shod ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Ford Fiesta Rally2. However, the Blackpool driver has a large total of 46 points to drop (unless he scores less on the final two rounds) – as the best six scores from eight rounds count. Co-driven by Andrew Roughead, the very worst that can happen is that Roskell remains on his current 157 points – which will at least secure him second place again. Not that he’ll be happy to settle for that two years running.

Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship battle hots up on the Down Rally

Just 15 points separate Neil Roskell and Callum Black at the top of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship leaderboard as they head to Round 6 of the series, the Carryduff Forklift Down Rally on Saturday 22 July – although there are plenty of other drivers in the title chasing pack, and others who could take valuable points away from the would-be champions.

Roskell had a good run on the Northern Ireland event last year, despite the bonnet flying open and smashing the windscreen on the famous Hamilton’s Folly jump.

Callum Black closes in on Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship lead after Argyll Rally victory

Callum Black has closed in on the lead of the 2023 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship after becoming the first driver this year to win more than one round – with his second victory of the season coming on the Dunoon presents Argyll Rally (23/24 June).

Despite not having driven his Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2 on wet asphalt before, nor in fact any four-wheel drive rally car, the Brackley driver led after a tricky opening leg – surviving a little off into a ditch towards the end of Leg 1’s final stage.

Callum Black keeps his promise to win the Manx National, while Neil Roskell takes the Protyre MSUK Asphalt Rally Championship lead

Callum Black said that he was going to win the Manx National Rally – and despite it being his first asphalt rally for 10 years, the Brackley driver was true to his word as he and co-driver Jack Morton won the event in their 586 Sports-prepared and Pirelli-shod Pallas Connections Ford Fiesta Rally2.

The 3min 17.9sec winning margin doesn’t reflect the incredibly close and fierce flat-out battle he had for victory with David Wright/Paula Swinscoe – and whilst Black scored maximum Round 3 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship points for coming out on top on the final day two, it was Wright who took maximum Round 2 points for leading after day one.

Woodpecker Stages

A bumper entry of 166 cars took the start in Ludlow for what would be a dusty affair in Mortimer & Radnor forests. Callum Black & Jack Morton (Fiesta Rally2) took the opening stage before Matthew Hirst & Declan Dear (Fiesta R5) took the lead with a stage win on SS2. Black regained the lead on SS3 and the pair were locked in battle until SS5 when the control arm broke on Hirst’s Fiesta and he was out. Black went on take victory by 54s. Perry Gardener & Jack Bowen (Fiesta R5) took 2nd on their local event with Elliot Payne & Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) were just 5s back in 3rd.

Payne proves a point with Rallynuts Stages Rally victory

Eighteen-year-old Elliot Payne stormed to his first-ever overall rally win on Saturday, claiming a start-to-finish victory at the Rallynuts Stages Rally [13 November].

Payne and co-driver Patrick Walsh would open up an impressive ten second lead on the opening stage of the event and enjoyed a start to finish lead, threading their Ford Fiesta Rally2 through the tricky mid-Wales forests tests with ultimate precision.

Rallynuts Stages Rally

The final round of the MRF Tyres BTRDA Championship saw Garry Pearson & Niall Burns (Fabia R5) confirm their 3rd championship title of 2021. They came home 3rd just edging out Ian Bainbridge & Will Atkins (Fabia R5) for the final podium place. At the front it was a battle between Elliott Payne & Patrick Walsh (Fiesta Rally2) and Callum Black & Tom Woodburn (Fiesta R5). Payne took the honours through Myherin to establish an early lead, which he did not lose for the rest of the event. The time ebbed and flowed but he ended up taking his first overall rally win by just 10s from Black.

Cambrian Rally

It was crunch time in both the BRC and BTRDA championships and the Cambrian could prove decisive. Osian Pryce & Noel O’Sullivan (Polo R5) were out of the blocks fast, taking the battle to local crew Matt Edwards & Darren Garrod (Polo R5). It proved to be a good tactic as on stage 4 Edwards went off and recovered with a damaged car that he woiuld have to limp through to the finish. Pryce took maximum points and the victory by over a minute. Garry Pearson & Niall Burns (Fabia R5) were 2nd, taking the National section of the rally, with Callum Black & Jack Morton (Fiesta R5) completing the podium.

Trackrod Rally

After retirement on the previous BRC round, Matt Edwards & Darren Garrod (Polo R5) struck back in the finest way, setting fastest time on all but one stage and leading from start to finish on the 2021 Trackrod Rally Yorkshire. Osian Pryce & Noel O’Sullivan (Polo R5) consolidated their BRC championship lead with 2^nd overall. They took it by 0.8s from Matthew Wilson & Stuart Loudon (Fiesta Rally2) who had an overshoot on the final stage, in Dalby, although this balanced out with Pryce dropping time on the same stage, ran on the Friday night as stage 1. William Creighton & Liam Regan (Fiesta Rally4) were the class of the 2WD field, taking victory by over 1m 20s.